2008-2013 Cadillac CTS General Discussion Discussion, "Ticking" Sound in 3.6...Again in Cadillac CTS Second Generation Forum - 2008-2013; First post and pleased to join this forum. What a great resource! I did a search and found a few ...

"Ticking" Sound in 3.6...Again

First post and pleased to join this forum. What a great resource! I did a search and found a few opinions on an annoying ticking sound on my new (to me) '12 Coupe. I'm over the top happy with the car in every way except for the ticking, which I've seen explained as possibly being a solenoid, injector, pump, or lifter. It is always there, rhythmic, hot or cold (so the SB doesn't apply), and increases in rate when depressing the accelerator. To me, it sounds like a lifter, which scares me since I've been down that road before.

I took it to one dealer who said it was normal with no further explanation except they ran diagnostics and thee were "no codes." Huh? What ever happened to old-fashioned using your ears? I've rented CTS's in the past few years and never heard this noise before. It seems to be coming from the very back of the engine compartment on the driver's side about midway down. Another dealer said that they've never seen a bad lifter in the 3.6 but it could be a solenoid of some sort going bad. Any thoughts and solid info that I can use when I take the car in for service? I got a sweet deal on the car (35K) with only 12K miles and 5/60 left on the CPO warranty, but a car that originally sold for over 50K shouldn't be making noises like that. As an ex airline pilot, when I started hearing strange noises like that, I knew it was just a matter of time before the emergency checklist was coming out.

If they can't fix it, maybe I'll just trade it in on a V before they quit making the coupe....or maybe one of these:

Re: "Ticking" Sound in 3.6...Again

If you have the 3.6DI then it is normal. My 08 has it and just broke 77k miles. It is the HPFP. Some are louder then others. I cannot hear mine in the car and opening any window except the drivers I cannot hear it. It is more pronounced if you are say pull up against say a wall.

Re: "Ticking" Sound in 3.6...Again

OMg hit one of the two possibilities. The DI fuel system is very high pressure, and the injectors do tick. Most cars have them buried so far inside the heads that you can't hear them. My first place for tick is lifters, and my first question is always oil level. When was it last changed? Have you checked the level? You could be a quart low, and hey tick. It happens a lot with DOHC engines, usually one side is lubricated better than the other.

Short answer, check oil leve. If that's ok, you may need an injector cleaning, especially if the car was run on poor gas, or started life in winter gas mixes. If nether of those are the problem, can you try to localize the sound for us?

Re: "Ticking" Sound in 3.6...Again

Originally Posted by Xav8tor

First post and pleased to join this forum. What a great resource! I did a search and found a few opinions on an annoying ticking sound on my new (to me) '12 Coupe. I'm over the top happy with the car in every way except for the ticking, which I've seen explained as possibly being a solenoid, injector, pump, or lifter. It is always there, rhythmic, hot or cold (so the SB doesn't apply), and increases in rate when depressing the accelerator. To me, it sounds like a lifter, which scares me since I've been down that road before.

I took it to one dealer who said it was normal with no further explanation except they ran diagnostics and thee were "no codes." Huh? What ever happened to old-fashioned using your ears? I've rented CTS's in the past few years and never heard this noise before. It seems to be coming from the very back of the engine compartment on the driver's side about midway down. Another dealer said that they've never seen a bad lifter in the 3.6 but it could be a solenoid of some sort going bad. Any thoughts and solid info that I can use when I take the car in for service? I got a sweet deal on the car (35K) with only 12K miles and 5/60 left on the CPO warranty, but a car that originally sold for over 50K shouldn't be making noises like that. As an ex airline pilot, when I started hearing strange noises like that, I knew it was just a matter of time before the emergency checklist was coming out.

If they can't fix it, maybe I'll just trade it in on a V before they quit making the coupe....or maybe one of these:

First let me welcome you to the forum and congratulate you on your new vehicle. That was a great deal you received! I am sorry you seem to be experiencing an issue hearing "ticking" in your vehicle. I see you visited a dealer already on this issue as well and they were unable to diagnose an issue. If you could private message me your VIN and current mileage, I will attempt to locate any information that may help your situation. I can also document this issue for you for our records in the event something happens in the future. There also is the option to visit another dealer to see if they could diagnose the "ticking" sound you are mentioning.

Re: "Ticking" Sound in 3.6...Again

Originally Posted by DaddyRocket

OMg hit one of the two possibilities. The DI fuel system is very high pressure, and the injectors do tick. Most cars have them buried so far inside the heads that you can't hear them. My first place for tick is lifters, and my first question is always oil level. When was it last changed? Have you checked the level? You could be a quart low, and hey tick. It happens a lot with DOHC engines, usually one side is lubricated better than the other.

Short answer, check oil level. If that's ok, you may need an injector cleaning, especially if the car was run on poor gas, or started life in winter gas mixes. If nether of those are the problem, can you try to localize the sound for us?

Before I signed the dotted line, I ran a CarFax, AutoCheck, and had the dealer pull and print every single service record they could find...twice. There wasn't much on it at all, which may be good - or bad. The car was a local lease in the Piedmont area of NC so, winter can get cold, but not THAT cold, except on rare occasions. The only service record I could find was an oil change at about 8K. Old habits die hard, and before a road trip of any reasonable length, I do a preflight check of all the fluids, pressures etc. and run through the engine info readouts. She's got full oil level. Fuel-wise, I run it with a half and half regular/premium mix to stay around 91 octane. I tried a couple full 93 tanks and that made no difference either.

My wife has pretty much appropriated the car and is out now getting it hand washed for the second time this week! When she gets back, I'll try to localize the origin better with a few neat audio gizmos I use in my biz, but like I said, it seems to be on the driver's side at the rear of the engine off to the side just below the top of the engine near the cylinder heads...not way down towards the crankcase. I understand the solenoid that's been mentioned a number of times is on the pax side, so that may not be it, but I'll take a closer look (listen). I can't imagine it needs an injector cleaning already because, as they used to say, I've blown the carbon out that sucker more than once running some "tests" to make sure the manufacturer's specs aren't inflated They're not. I'm getting 0 to 60 times 0.3 less than published. Don't know about the top end speed (yet).

While the dealer I bought it from said it was normal, as some others have posted too, the service manager at my local dealership said it could be an indication of a failing something or other acronym I don't recall. I'm taking her in to have some accessories dealer installed and a seat belt retractor adjusted, maybe software updates for the nav, so hopefully they'll fix the tick while they have it. At least I'll either know it's normal (which I still find hard to swallow), have it fixed, or at minimum have it documented in case the engine blows up later.

Thanks to all for the speedy, helpful responses. All internet forums should be so useful.

OMg hit one of the two possibilities. The DI fuel system is very high pressure, and the injectors do tick. Most cars have them buried so far inside the heads that you can't hear them. My first place for tick is lifters, and my first question is always oil level. When was it last changed? Have you checked the level? You could be a quart low, and hey tick. It happens a lot with DOHC engines, usually one side is lubricated better than the other.

Short answer, check oil leve. If that's ok, you may need an injector cleaning, especially if the car was run on poor gas, or started life in winter gas mixes. If nether of those are the problem, can you try to localize the sound for us?

It is either the fuel pump or the injectors lifter tick is from an overhead valve engine. The engines in the CTS are overhead cam. No pushrods and as a result no lifters.

Re: "Ticking" Sound in 3.6...Again

Originally Posted by Cadillac Cust Svc

Hello Xav8tor,

First let me welcome you to the forum and congratulate you on your new vehicle. That was a great deal you received! I am sorry you seem to be experiencing an issue hearing "ticking" in your vehicle. I see you visited a dealer already on this issue as well and they were unable to diagnose an issue. If you could private message me your VIN and current mileage, I will attempt to locate any information that may help your situation. I can also document this issue for you for our records in the event something happens in the future. There also is the option to visit another dealer to see if they could diagnose the "ticking" sound you are mentioning.

Re: "Ticking" Sound in 3.6...Again

Good afternoon all. Also my first time posting and a new 2013 CTS Premium Coupe 3.6L w/performance package owner. Just picked up my new CTS from the dealer a couple of weeks ago, now with 400 miles on her. I also hear the ticking noise when outside the vehicle, e.g. remote start. I haven't had a chance to get back to the dealer yet for an evaluation. The ticking does concern me as I thought it might have a lifter issue, but as gohawks63 indicates there are no lifters. I'm looking forward to seeing what Xav8tor finds out if he posts the results.

The forum is a great resource and very happy to be a participant. I used the Corvette forum alot while I had my C5 for 11 years, which I retired when I got the CTS. Thanks.

Good afternoon all. Also my first time posting and a new 2013 CTS Premium Coupe 3.6L w/performance package owner. Just picked up my new CTS from the dealer a couple of weeks ago, now with 400 miles on her. I also hear the ticking noise when outside the vehicle, e.g. remote start. I haven't had a chance to get back to the dealer yet for an evaluation. The ticking does concern me as I thought it might have a lifter issue, but as gohawks63 indicates there are no lifters. I'm looking forward to seeing what Xav8tor finds out if he posts the results.

The forum is a great resource and very happy to be a participant. I used the Corvette forum alot while I had my C5 for 11 years, which I retired when I got the CTS. Thanks.

Again all direct injection engines have noisy injectors. This is perfectly normal and not unique to Cadillac or the 3.6 engine.

Re: "Ticking" Sound in 3.6...Again

Again all direct injection engines have noisy injectors. This is perfectly normal and not unique to Cadillac or the 3.6 engine.

Maybe so, aircraft engines I get, but auto engines these days aren't exactly my forte. I can check/refill the fluids, but that's about it.

Based upon prior experience, I can rarely depend on ANY service department to do a thorough differential diagnosis that may culminate in a costly (to the dealer/manufacturer) repair, versus them saying, "Oh, that's normal, don't worry, you'll get used to it and won't even notice it after a while." It's already basically happened with this car as described above. No computer codes, then there can't be a problem right? The last time I heard something like that on a new car purchase, after six weeks of repair attempts (lifters on that one for sure), and getting regional managers/engineers involved, I corralled the dealership owner himself and handed him the other set of keys, the payment coupon book, and a copy of the NC lemon law, then walked across the street and called a taxi. Never heard another word from them.

If it is the injector(s), and they all do it (which I WILL check by cranking up a few identical cars on the lot), then OK, but regardless, GM really should address the issue since it is a source of confusion and can be disconcerting to some people...like me, obviously.

Any additional suggestions on how I can attempt to verify that it is indeed an injector, as opposed to other's suggestions of the noise being the high pressure fuel pump, EVAP purge solenoid, etc.? Does cleaning the injectors help? If so, is it done via fuel additive or a manual process by a mechanic?

Re: "Ticking" Sound in 3.6...Again

Originally Posted by gohawks63

The engines in the CTS are overhead cam. No pushrods and as a result no lifters.

The absence of pushrods does not guarantee the absence of a hydraulic lash mechanism. Many DOHC designs employ a cam over bucket design which requires periodic adjustment by inserting shims.
The GM 3.6 however does not. If you choose to call them lifters is up to you. However, it does have a hyd device interposed between the cam lobe and valve stem to maintain clearance over temperature change and mileage "wear"
This is why there is no valve adjustment interval mentioned in the manual.
My SHO Taurus ( Yamaha engine) was shim over bucket.
My 2.8 BMW was hydraulic.
Both were/are DOHC 4V designs

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This bulletin is being revised to add the 2013 model year and the Cadillac ATS, XTS models.
Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 07-06-04-025G (Section 06 – Engine/Propulsion System).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Do This
Inform the customer that this is normal operation of the high pressure fuel pump and injectors.

Don't Do This
DO NOT replace the high pressure fuel pump and/or injectors.

The 3.0L and 3.6L SIDI engines use a direct injection fuel system that operates at very high fuel pressures. A direct injection fuel system produces a rapid clicking and ticking sound that can be heard from the engine compartment. The sound is more evident when outside around the vehicle or when the hood is open. The sound is more noticeable during idle and is more frequent during a cold start, but lessens once the engine is warm.

The rapid ticking noise on cold start up is the fuel pump (located on the rear of the left cylinder head) building up high fuel pressure. When the engine warm-up is completed, the high pressure fuel pump will continue to tick at a lower rate of approximately one tick per second during idle. The clicking sound is the fuel injectors pulsing on and off under higher fuel pressures. This sound is a normal characteristic of Direct Injection Fuel high pressure fuel system.

DO NOT attempt to repair or replace any parts for this kind of clicking or ticking concern. The clicking or ticking sound is not indicative of any concerns with the engine or the vehicle. You may wish to give the customer a copy of this bulletin.

Re: "Ticking" Sound in 3.6...Again

Originally Posted by 99flhr

The absence of pushrods does not guarantee the absence of a hydraulic lash mechanism. Many DOHC designs employ a cam over bucket design which requires periodic adjustment by inserting shims.
The GM 3.6 however does not. If you choose to call them lifters is up to you. However, it does have a hyd device interposed between the cam lobe and valve stem to maintain clearance over temperature change and mileage "wear"
This is why there is no valve adjustment interval mentioned in the manual.
My SHO Taurus ( Yamaha engine) was shim over bucket.
My 2.8 BMW was hydraulic.
Both were/are DOHC 4V designs

True story. Us old guys just call that lifter tick, I suppose. Old habits die hard...

Re: "Ticking" Sound in 3.6...Again

Just relax and enjoy your car. so far a great number of posts attribute the noise to the fuel pump or injectors. The dealer wouldn't shoe you away as they get paid for warranty service just like the walk in trade; albeit at a lower rate. I'm on my fourth CTS and I don't even hear it after awhile.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This bulletin is being revised to add the 2013 model year and the Cadillac ATS, XTS models.
Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 07-06-04-025G (Section 06 – Engine/Propulsion System).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Do This
Inform the customer that this is normal operation of the high pressure fuel pump and injectors.

Don't Do This
DO NOT replace the high pressure fuel pump and/or injectors.

The 3.0L and 3.6L SIDI engines use a direct injection fuel system that operates at very high fuel pressures. A direct injection fuel system produces a rapid clicking and ticking sound that can be heard from the engine compartment. The sound is more evident when outside around the vehicle or when the hood is open. The sound is more noticeable during idle and is more frequent during a cold start, but lessens once the engine is warm.

The rapid ticking noise on cold start up is the fuel pump (located on the rear of the left cylinder head) building up high fuel pressure. When the engine warm-up is completed, the high pressure fuel pump will continue to tick at a lower rate of approximately one tick per second during idle. The clicking sound is the fuel injectors pulsing on and off under higher fuel pressures. This sound is a normal characteristic of Direct Injection Fuel high pressure fuel system.

DO NOT attempt to repair or replace any parts for this kind of clicking or ticking concern. The clicking or ticking sound is not indicative of any concerns with the engine or the vehicle. You may wish to give the customer a copy of this bulletin.

The ticking sound I am complaining about happens hot or cold and does not change in rate over time as the engine warms. It's the same after sitting overnight as it is after a 300 mile nonstop drive. Always there and always annoyingly loud. I can even hear it with the window down when stopped at traffic lights. I'm still going to have it checked out regardless of the SB and documented. That way, if a week after the warranty runs out the engine seizes or blows something, I'll have the ammo needed to get it repaired.

If the service department can put an electronic steth on the suspect part and prove that's where it's coming from, and if two or three CTS's on the lot make the exact same sound, and if they properly document my concern, then fine, I'll accept it as normal...until/unless there's a failure. I've already had one service manager at a large dealership tell me that a ticking sound like I described, if coming from the HPFP has, in his experience, been an indicator of impending failure.